Mains
Japanese
JapaneseChicken Katsu Curry
Crisp panko chicken with a mild, glossy Japanese curry sauce. The basic tier uses a shop-bought curry block, while the ultimate builds its own roux and sauce from scratch around a brined, double-coated cutlet.
Nut-free
Ultimate version
Brined, double-coated cutlet with a from-scratch curry roux and dashi.
Per serving£8.00
Total cost£16.00
Time1 hr 15 min
Ingredients for 2
- Cutlet
- 2 corn-fed chicken breasts , butterflied and brined 1 hour
- 120 g Japanese panko breadcrumbs
- 2 eggs , beaten
- 50 g plain flour
- 500 ml vegetable oil , for deep frying
- Curry roux
- 60 g unsalted butter
- 50 g plain flour , for the roux
- 2 tbsp Japanese curry powder , S&B style
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- Sauce
- 1 onion , caramelised
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger , grated
- 600 ml dashi stock , or light chicken stock
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp honey
- To serve
- 150 g Japanese short-grain rice
Method
- Make the roux: melt the butter, stir in the flour and cook to a blond paste, then add the curry powder and garam masala and cook 1 minute until fragrant; set aside.
- Caramelise the onion slowly with the ginger, add the dashi, soy and honey, then whisk in spoonfuls of the curry roux until you have a glossy, thickened sauce; simmer gently 15 minutes and blend smooth.
- Pat the brined chicken dry, then coat in flour, egg and panko twice for an extra-thick crust. Steam-rinse and cook the short-grain rice.
- Heat the oil to 170C and deep fry the cutlets for 6-7 minutes until deep golden and cooked to 74C internally, then rest on a rack.
- Slice each katsu into thick fingers and arrange over a mound of rice.
- Flood the plate with the curry sauce and finish with a scatter of toasted sesame and pickled ginger if you like.
Equipment
- deep fryer or heavy pan
- saucepan
- stick blender
- thermometer
The three ways, side by side
Budget
Breaded chicken and a quick sauce from a shop-bought curry block.
Better
Homemade spiced roux sauce with apple and carrot for sweetness.
Ultimate
Brined, double-coated cutlet with a from-scratch curry roux and dashi.
